1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for effectively retrieving data stored in an electronic data storage device which has a stylus and a tablet for inputting and outputting desired data.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Information processing apparatus for storing divided groups or units of data (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9csegment dataxe2x80x9d) as fixed-length pages in memories are known in the art. When such an information processing apparatus is in operation, the user specifies and retrieves a desired page of the stored segment data, and displays the retrieved page on a display unit or records the retrieved page on a recording medium. Generally, a page of the stored segment data is identified using a keyboard. To specify a succession of pages, the first page is identified with the keyboard, and then the number of pages following the first page is entered through the keyboard.
However, pages which a e desired to be retrieved from the stored segment data cannot be identified in the above manner with information processing apparatus which employ a stylus as the input device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus which is capable of identifying successive pages of stored segment data with an instruction inputted using a stylus, and also allows the user to obtain a clear visual confirmation as to how many pages have been specified.
According to the present invention, an information processing apparatus comprising input means for inputting information, memory means for storing the inputted information as a plurality of pages, display means for displaying one of the pages at a time, first indicating means for indicating a first page of stored information to be processed, second indicating means for indicating a last page of stored information to be processed, means for controlling the display means to successively display stored information from the first page toward the final page, and processing means for processing the information ranging from the first page to the last page.
The processing means processes the information in a selected one of a plurality of different selectable processing modes, and the display means displays a window indicating the selected processing mode.
For example, the processing means copies the information ranging from the first page to the last page as different pages in the memory means, and deletes the information ranging from the first page to the last page from the memory means.
The input means comprises a tablet and a stylus which operate in coaction with each other to instruct the processing means to copy or delete the information ranging from the first page to the last page.
The display means displays an image containing a visual representation of the manner in which the processing means processes the information from the first page to the last page. For example, when the information is to be deleted, a shredder is displayed by the display means, and when the information is to be copied, a copier is displayed by the display means.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent the same or similar objects.